Messages on Spiritual Growth (Page 2)
Earthly vs Heavenly Treasure
In a materialistic world trying to turn our attention to all the new, shiny, faster, and better items which promise us a better, happier, more fulfilling life, Jesus calls us to something completely different. Rather than storing up the earthly treasure the world is selling, he tells us to store up heavenly treasure which pays an everlasting reward. Message Today we start a new series to see what the Bible says about “Treasure.” We don’t talk a lot about treasure…
Mental Health
So often when we think about Jesus coming to bring healing, we think of physical ailments, but do you realize Jesus also brings mental and emotional healing? The Bible shows us examples of people in deep depression, but they always trust God to bring them through. Message Today we end our series on the Mind of Christ by looking at a painful gap between the Mind of Christ and the mindset with which many Christians struggle. When we speak of…
Humble Like Jesus
Philippians 2 tells us to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus and then tells of his humility in coming down from heaven to die on a cross for us. But we can’t do that for others. So how can we be humble like Jesus? Surprisingly it begins with what we need to STOP doing, and that is bring prideful. Message Last week we began a brief series about what it means to have “The Mind of Christ” and how…
The Mind of Christ
The apostle Paul tells us that as Christians we have the mind of Christ, but what does that mean? How is the world’s way of thinking incompatible with a believers way of thinking and are the two sides really that far apart? Message Today we begin a new series of messages in which we will learn what it means to have, as 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, the “Mind of Christ.” Perhaps you have heard this phrase before, but have you…
Psalm 119
Laws, decrees, precepts, ways, and commands are not something most of us love to talk about. But this Psalmist is different. He wrote the longest book of the Bible on this very topic. Why did he love God’s written word so much, and what does it mean for our lives today? And yes, Jesus plays a major role! Message: For the past several weeks we’ve been focusing on “Israel’s Greatest Hits” – the songbook of the Hebrew people – the…
Psalm 1
The first Psalm in the psalter begins with an epilogue that gives us the basic principle that people who do what is right in the eyes of the Lord will have all they need to survive the challenges of life while those who follow the path of other sinners and scoffers will have greater difficulty and eventually be cut off from God. What is a Psalm? Today we start a new sermon series, “Greatest Hits,” based on popular psalms from…
The Spirit Led Life
Many people think Christianity is just a bunch of rules to follow, but Jesus actually died on the cross so we could be set free from all the rules. But if we don’t have rules to follow, how can we know how to live? By the Spirit of God who acts as our guide in every moment of every day. This message from Galatians shows us how we are to walk in step with the Spirit. Rules Don’t Work Have…
Our Guide
One of the main tasks of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to be a messenger between us and God. And in so doing, he guides us through our lives on the path God wants for us. Looking through scripture we see that the 4 main messages the Holy Spirit communicates are: (1) convict the world, (2) guide us to truth, (3) teach us wisdom, and (4) intercede on our behalf. The Message Today is Mother’s Day! Do you…
An Easter Exodus
Have you ever noticed the similarities between the Exodus of Israel and the Resurrection of Jesus? Where the Israelites looked to the Exodus story as the moment God save them, Jesus came and made a new salvation story, one that set all of humanity free from sin and brought us into an eternal promised land with Jesus as our King! I love the hope and excitement of Easter and its focus on life and salvation! Good Friday is dark and…
The Passover
The 10th and final plague, the death of the first born, only impacted the Egyptians because God passed over the Israelites who sprinkled the blood of a perfect lamb over their door posts. This foreshadowed the work of Jesus, the spotless lamb of God who covers the sin of humanity for all who put his blood over the door posts of their heart. The Message I love the song “Hallelujah, Praise the Lamb”; but have you ever wondered how weird…